Hopeful and Alone
by Mairu and Kururi
Summary: Because no one felt as alone as everyone on the other side. Two-shot based of how everyone feels as the door is opening.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Brief story about what was running through the minds of everyone leaving Hope's Peak. Bonus chapter will be up tomorrow!**

When Naegi opened the doors of Hope's Peak Academy, when the mechanical whirring and screaming of thousands of tiny gears began, the six students standing before it felt only one thing. A horrid emotion that took over every student that lay broken and bloodied within the dark recesses of the make-shift hell hole. Something that nestled its way into your stomach and multiplied, something that was a pure shade of black that would never be anything but black, something that would rip hopes and dreams and happiness to shreds and absorb them until you felt nothing but black.

Despair.

The one thing a certain Junko Enoshima was desperate for them to feel for weeks, for them to embrace and welcome, suddenly felt like it was all that would ever be there. Despair, not for her life – a life properly wasted and horrendously ended – but for theirs. For everyone else's. Despair for all who craved only to escape and were foiled by either execution, or another's equally desperate hand.

Strands of light could be seen through the doors, and all six held their breath, though each for their own reason.

Despite the irony in the statement, Super High-School Level Hope, Naegi, refused to hope for a clean, mono-free world. The only thing that came to mind for him were empty streets, littered with rotting corpses, screams and sobs resonating off of buildings within the large city. He could already feel the smog in his throat, hardening like Plexiglas and blocking any way for air to escape. All he could smell were burnt bodies, melting bodies, bodies of those whom he loved and cared about. All he could do was relive every murder, every death, and know that no matter what he did, they would haunt him forever, no matter what was on the other side of that door.

Close by, Kirigiri Kyouko, Super High-School Level Detective, felt overcome with emotion- something she hadn't felt since her father abandoned her as a child. _Except, he never really did_, she mused, her normally hard eyes downcast and staring anywhere but ahead. _He loved me and if I could remember the last two years, if I could remember my life before the games, I would know for sure._ But that was enough for her, not now. Not when she was about to go out into a new world, alone and confused, two things that she never allowed herself to feel. Of course, there's a first for everything.

Fukawa Touko, Super High-School Literary Girl and Super High-School Level Murderer, someone who was usually strongly overcome with emotion, felt empty. Knowing that every move they had made, every murder, every tear, every _confession _was being watched by people around the world reinforced her biggest fear – her life was over. She had confessed to not only being a mass murderer, but to enjoying every murder, to cherishing the death of every man she had ever lusted after. If hope won out, if everything she feared was true, she would be ruined. She would never see anything but bed spreads and perhaps the inside of her cell, if she wasn't given the death penalty. And she deserved as much. She was a disgusting, dirty human being that ought to only be spat on, kicked around like the filth she is. Her only hope now, in her pitiful existence, was that she could say goodbye to the one man she loved, not as Genocider Syo, but as Fukawa Touko. To tell him she loved him, even if she would only be insulted. Because that empty emotion was honestly all she had left.

Asahina Aoi, Super High-School Level Swimmer, and the only one showing emotion, was crying. She knew she cried a lot, but at this moment, she believed it was merited. She had lost everything, everyone she cared about. She watched friend after friend die, watched as they were burnt alive, melted into butter, broken and bent until they were held together by nothing more than severed cartilage and weak ligaments. She watched as the person she loved the most, the one person she valued over them all died, left her alone, all because she saw no other way to bring peace than to take the very reason they all fought away. And that left her weaker than ever before. Because why would she walk through that door without her only reason to continue walking? How would she ever go to Kenichiro's grave, to tell his soul where Sakura was, and why she wouldn't be coming to meet him?

Togami Byakuya, despite being the most confident of them all, the one who was most likely to move on virtually-unscathed, knew he was the one who was least likely to live life properly after those doors finished opening. He knew there were only two ways that his life would play out after those doors opened. The first path was that Junko was telling the truth. His family was dead. His life was over. He would have nowhere to turn to. The second was what scared him most – his family would want nothing to do with him. Scandal was common, but the world's most powerful corporation's only heir being involved in eight murders and two suicides, as well as being acquaintances with a serial killer? He would have nowhere to go. He would be alone. Of course, no matter what happened, he would still be alone. But isn't that how he claimed he liked it?

The last in the line was Yasuhiro Hagakure, Super High-School Level Fortune Teller, and the only who retained hope. Not because they were escaping, not because they survived. Because he wasn't alone. Because, despite watching friends die, knowing they themselves would die, fearing everyone that crossed paths with them, they stood strong. They were alive and kicking, ready to move on with a new sense of hope. Yasuhiro Hagakure believed that it could only get better. Despite how hard it will be, despite how heartbroken they may feel and how empty they may be, it would never be as bad as it was, watching those they cared about die. He knew this.

He just wished everyone around him knew it too.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Second half, different points of view. I think this might be a tad bit shorter… Some ships in here, if you squint.**

They all saw the light, yes. But not a single one of them turned toward it. Because they all knew that if they did, they wouldn't see the end of this horrible nightmare. They would see a brief pause. A moment where they would see nothing but replays of their choices, of moments where they could have done better, where they could have _be_e_n _better. And if they were stuck in that moment, how would they move forward? They wouldn't. Not without making sure that those they cared about made it forward first.

The first one to bid them farewell was Sakura. She was close to Asahina from the moment she died, watching over her and hoping to provide some form of spiritual comfort. She was also the one that suffered the most. "I will wait for you, Asahina. One day, we will meet again and make merry, as friends do," she whispered, her raspy voice shaking and weak. Without realizing why, Asahina let out another loud bout of sobs, her small body shaking as she pressed her hands to her face.

Taking a step back, she smiled fondly at the sobbing girl and gestured for everyone to begin their goodbyes. Oowada and Ishimaru were next, smiling and bumping into each other, as confused lovers do. Ishimaru stepped behind Naegi and attempted to hug him, smiling. "Thank you, friend. You helped justice prevail." The black haired hall monitor seemed on the verge of tears, awkwardly hugging the aura around his friend. "See you on the other side."

Oowada, on the other hand, stood next to Togami and smirked. "Hope you have fun, ass hole." He made a slight attempt to ruffle the heir's hair, letting out an irritated 'tch' when he failed. As the couple walked away, Celestia took a graceful step forward, walking around the line and standing in front of Kirigiri. "You beat me, didn't you?" she whispered to the lilac haired girl, "I never lose. So you must be lucky. You'll need that luck." The gambler then turned to Naegi and curtsied, despite knowing that he couldn't see her. "You beat me as well, Naegi. But that was less than luck." She reached out a claw-clad finger, tracing the air around his body. "Well done."

As she departed, Yamada bounded up, in large, galloping struts. He stood before Fukawa and screamed, "Please continue writing, Fukawa-san! Make lots of doujins, okay? I'll be sure to help you as much as I can!" The spirits chuckled as he attempted to hug her, making whining noises when she wouldn't awknowledge him. "Um… Yamada-san?" Chihiro called out, walking forward, "You can't touch them. We're dead."

Yamada blushed and stood straight, nodding and passing the small boy with a side-long glance. Chihiro stepped close to Naegi and stood on his tip toes, pressing a weak kiss just shy of his cheek. "Thank you, Naegi-kun," he whispered, smiling sadly. He stepped back, eyes trained on his friend, until he spun around completely and fled back to Ishimaru and Oowada.

Leon was next, smiling sadly as he stood behind Hagakure. "I could have been a better friend, bro," he whispered, bright eyes trained on a full head of dreads. He was about turn away when, instead, Hagakure turned toward him. No one else seemed to notice Leon, because when he did, the rest of his companions shot him strange glances. Hagakure smiled brightly, his hand grabbing Leon's. "You were a great friend. I'll see you soon, bro."

Turning around as if nothing happened, Hagakure sent reassuring smiles toward his friends and sighed. _The one time a ghost was worth talking to, the conversation is in front of others._

Before anyone could stop her, Junko strode forward, an angry look on her face. "Hey! Hagakure!" she shrieked, getting into his face. "How come you start talking to Leon and not the rest of us?! That's not fair! I'm the important one here!" Mukoro stumbled after, reaching for her sister's hand. "Junko-chan," she whispered, attempting to calm her bipolar twin. Junko waved her off, glaring, at Hagakure. "I want them all to see us. Now."

Hagakure shook his head, staring at his hands. The twins didn't know if they should be upset that they were being ignored, or viewing this motion as some sort of magical attempt to extend his spiritual vision. After a second of only apologetic glances from Hagakure, Junko screamed and walked past him, back to the line up. As soon as she did that, the doors behind her finally opened. But the surviving six weren't looking at the door.

"You're all dead!"

They were looking at her.

The horrified stares the spirits gave them were overwhelming. "You… You can see us?!" Leon cried out, his cerulean eyes wide and scared. No one responded to the statement, each survivor shooting terrified glances at each apparition.

The first one to break was Asahina, rushing forward to embrace her friend, who looked just as fragile as she did. "Sakura-kun!" she screamed, flinging herself into the wall of muscle, sobbing. "Asahina," Sakura whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. The silver haired girl embraced her friend, her hands knotted and shaking into Asahina's pony tail. Their eyes met and they stayed like that, staring up at each other and smiling like idiots.

As the two friends embraced one another, Kirigiri smiled and nodded to at the line, her eyes trailing over every individual character, sending bright smiles and the occasional giggle. Celestia stepped forward and they held eachother, smiling wildly. Yamada threw himself forward, almost crashing into Fukawa. "Now that I have you here, I have to tell you about a story idea for a doujin!" he shouted, overly excited. Fukawa turned red and began to stutter, obviously embrassed by the confrontation.

Oowada gripped Chihiro and Ishimaru's hands, pulling them toward Togami. "Hey! Cracker!" the Super High-School Level Gang Leader shouted, ruffling the heir's hair. Before either knew what was happening, Ishimaru pulled the group into a tight huge, laughing. "This is the last chance we'll be able to spend together for a while! We should enjoy it!" Chihiro laughed as well, smiling up at the two enemies. They shared a slight look before smiling.

Hagakure and Leon rushed forward, properly embracing and smiling at each other with their big, wide grins. With even wider eyes, they scanned one another, looking for a sign of a scratch or hair misplaced on one another's head. "How are you…? How are you okay?" Hagakure asked breathlessly. Leon laughed and shrugged, his face buried into Hagakure's shoulder. "I just am. I just am."

Naegi was the only one remaining, his eyes wide as he stared at three beautiful women, all suddenly shy beneath the scrutiny of his gaze. In the middle was Junko, her wild blonde hair becoming a certain object of interest. She seemed completely unharmed, which didn't infuriate Naegi like he thought it would. Now that his memories weren't under lock and key, he seemed to remember this piece of her. The loud mouth that looked embaresed in front of any adult figure that attempted to put her in line. She was still the beautiful model everyone previously adored. Except now, she was no longer worth adoring. When she looked up and met Naegi's gaze, she smiled brightly, her eyes squinted shut, and held up a peace sign.

Next to her, Muroko hid behind her dark fringe, her hands playing with her brown skirt. Naegi hadn't had a chance to look at her as if she was Muroko in some time, and found her much prettier like this than cosplaying as her sister. Her pale face was sprinkled with freckles, which accentuated her cold eyes. She was well muscled yet surprisingly thin, her porcelain skin almost perfect. The only blemish was her dark, henna colored tattoo that showed which mercenary group she belonged to. Her gaze shot up, her eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Naegi. She lifted on of her hands as a sign of acknowledgment before she returned her gaze to her skirt.

The last girl in line was a beautiful blue haired idol, one that sent a pang of sadness into Naegi's heart. Maizono looked up with guilty blue eyes, filled with tears that spilt over her flushed, pink cheeks. Her hands were pulling at her hair, at her shirt, at anything she could get a decent grip on. She was obviously in pain, horror and depression evident in every movement she made. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed, her hands flying to her face.

Despite everything those three girls put him through, despite every upsetting moment of grief that he suffered through, he felt sad. Sad that those three girls, girls with so much on the line, had to die in a place so dark and empty. And they had to die alone.

With large strides forward, he stood in front of the mismatched trio, three sets of eyes trained on him. And he hugged them. He pulled each one closer and hugged them together. It didn't matter that Mukoro had buried her face into his neck and her breath was too warm to belong to a ghost. It didn't matter that he was breathing through Junko's thick, hairspray caked hair. It didn't matter that his shirt was soaked from Maizono's tears. It only mattered that he wouldn't let them feel alone again.

**A/N: Strange ending, I know. But I'm pleased with it.**


End file.
